Strap on your skis and make molehills out of mountains on New Zealand’s South Island

WORDS ADRIENNE REWI

Photo: Photolibrary

If the thought of untracked powder snow gets you going, then dust off your skis and head for the pristine slopes of New Zealand’s South Island. Its diverse ski regions, coupled with commercial fields and a variety of superb “club fields”, make it a snow bunny’s paradise.

The club fields of New Zealand are unique – nowhere else in the world can you stay in a club-operated lodge, get up in the morning, step out the door and ski down wide-open, uncrowded slopes. You don’t even have to be a member. Add great local hospitality, a variety of ski challenges and a relaxed après-ski environment, and you’ve got the makings of an unparalleled winter ski break.

CLOCKWISE, FROM TOP LEFT: Porter Heights, Mt Hutt, Mt Hutt, Coronet Peak, Mt Hutt

Whether you’re after a family ski package, a ski school, great socialising or the rush of free skiing, heli-skiing, ski racing or snowboarding, the Canterbury fields can provide it. Some fields are more accessible than others, some are better suited to beginners and families, and some only have older-style rope tows or T-bar lifts. Canterbury’s one commercial field, Mt Hutt, has a few more facilities – snow grooming, snowmaking, a big ski-school and rentals – but the club fields are invariably much less crowded, with hundreds rather than thousands of people on their backcountry slopes. All the Canterbury fields are within two-and-a-half hours’ drive of Christchurch, so if you don’t want to stay in the mountains, you can easily base yourself in Christchurch.

If you prefer the adrenaline rush of the big commercial fields, then head to the world-famous southern fields of Queenstown and Wanaka to join the thousands of international visitors who flock there every winter. It’s features every conceivable run, facility and après-ski attraction you could dream of, and more.

Either way you’re guaranteed a great experience. Here’s our pick of the crop, whatever your ski-adventure tastes.

Family Fun and Super Ski Schools

The Remarkables

Mt Cheeseman – Only 90 minutes by car from Christchurch, Mt Cheeseman has the easiest access in Canterbury and modern lifts. You can pay a flat fee here for a week’s lessons, accommodation, lift tickets and food, making it great value for families, intermediate skiers and beginners. The Learners’ Tow is right next to the Snowline Lodge, and Swiss, Canadian and Kiwi ski instructors are available for all levels – plus, if you stay for a week, you’ll probably get the same instructor for the entire time. This mountain’s very much geared toward family fun: at Forest Lodge, 6km down the access road, there’s even a family skating rink set in a beech forest, which is open from about late June/July, depending on conditions. All-day lift passes cost from NZ$60 (AU$52) and the season runs late June to early October. Tel: +64 (3) 344 3247, www.mtcheeseman.com

Mt HuttMt Hutt – Canterbury’s one commercial field is known for its laid-back rural atmosphere and great variety of terrain and facilities. It gets some of the lightest and driest powder in Australasia and typically enjoys one of the longest ski seasons in the Southern Hemisphere, running from early June to late October. And while there’s plenty on offer for seasoned pros, Mt Hutt is very family- and beginner-friendly, with a licensed Skiwiland Creche and free skiing for children six years and under. Its award-winning Snowsports School is the biggest in Canterbury – among the 90 instructors are New Zealand Snowsports Instructors Alliance examiners and many instructors are fluent in French, Japanese, Spanish or German. An hour’s private tuition can noticeably fast-track your skiing; group ski lesson packages start at NZ$91 for adults (AU$80) and NZ$62 (AU$55) for youth.

Mt Hutt

A wide range of accommodation is available in nearby Methven, five minutes from the base of the mountain – but choose carefully if you want to steer clear of the party-hearty crowd. For NZ$949 (AU$835), Mt Hutt’s unlimited season’s pass, the NZskipass, gets you into both Mt Hutt and its partner fields further south in Queenstown: Coronet Peak, The Remarkables and Ohau Snow Fields. Tel: +64 (3) 308 5074, www.nzski.com or go to jetstar. com for a choice of travel packages available in Queenstown through Ski Max and Ski One.

You’re never too young to
discover the delights of
snow, whether tobogganing,
skiiing or just playing with it

Porter Heights – Canterbury’s closest club field to Christchurch is just a 60-minute drive away. It has the shortest access road, the best fall line and the biggest range of challenges, and is ideally suited to families. Kids under seven ski free, and family and beginners’ packages for skiers and snowboarders are available. The ski school is run by 15 top European and American ski and snowboard instructors; while it’s not the biggest school in the area, it offers top-quality skiing and snowboarding lessons along with ski race training, powder clinics, ski improvement training for five- to 17-year-olds and holiday programs for kids. Daily transport is available from Christchurch and there’s a 40-bed mountain lodge. An all-day pass costs NZ$70 (AU$61); kids’ ski-school packages start at around NZ$150 (AU$132). Tel: +64 (3) 318 4002, www.porterheights.co.nz

Mt Hutt

Cardona Alpine Resort – Located 30 minutes from Wanaka, this is one of the few New Zealand commercial fields with on-mountain accommodation. Renowned for its excellent children’s facilities and its Cardona Development Centre, it’s a perfect family choice. The Centre runs an extensive program of group and private lessons for beginners through to advanced workshops. Also a favourite with freestylers, Cardona has the country’s biggest terrain park and an extensive rage of on-mountain restaurants. Adult lift passes start at NZ$77 (AU$68) and NZ$39 (AU$34) for kids. Tel: +64 (3) 443 7411, www.cardona.com or go to jetstar. com for a choice of travel packages available through Ski Max and Ski One.

Party Like There’s Snow Tomorrow

The Blue Pub at Mt Hutt
is host to many a good
party; there’s nothing
like a day of snow
adventures to bring
friends, old and new,
together

Mt Hutt – If you like your powdery slopes to come with wild après-ski, the small town of Methven is the place to be. This classic Kiwi country town was catapulted onto the world ski and snowboard stage in 1990 when it hosted the World Cup, and has never looked back. Just five minutes from the base of the mountain, Methven becomes ski-central for droves of Australian and Japanese skiers and boarders every winter thanks to its great pubs, bars and cafés.

Mt Hutt’s Blue Pub

Temple Basin – Voted New Zealand’s best snowboarding area by the NZ Snowboarding Association/ NZ Skiing Times survey, Temple Basin draws the young and enthusiastic. You have to be keen – it’s a two-hour drive from Christchurch and then a 50-minute trudge from the car park up to the two ski lodges – but it’s worth the slog. At least a free goods lift takes your luggage. The field is operated by both the Temple Basin Ski Club and the Canterbury University Snowsports Club making it a favourite with hyperactive students.

Mt Hutt

Queenstown-Wanaka – The party scene here is legendary thanks to the huge range of bars, restaurants, nightclubs and casinos packed into these two tiny alpine resort towns. International skiers and snowboarders in their thousands return every year and base themselves in towns primed for seasonal madness. There’s something for all ages and stages in both places, although Queenstown offers a far greater range of both accommodation and nightlife.

Speed-Demon Scenes and “Secret” Runs

Coronet Peak

Craigieburn Valley Ski Area – Steep, challenging and definitely for intermediate to experienced skiers, Craigieburn has earned itself cult status among off-piste enthusiasts. It’s known for its infamous 600m vertical descent, Middle Basin (often compared to a heli-ski experience). You can also opt for the steep 210 Run or the superb, very long vertical drop of the Hamilton Run. There are three rope tows and two lodges on the mountain; adult full-day tow fees cost from NZ$55 (AU$48). Tel: +64 (3) 318 8711, www.craigieburn.co.nz

Craigieburn

Mt Hutt – The South Face, Bluff, South West Face and the Rakaia Saddle Chutes are all renowned for superb powder action, especially after fresh snowfalls.

Mt Potts Ski Area – Located in the heart of the Southern Alps, two hours from Christchurch, Mt Potts is the highest ski area in the South Island and is open to just 14 guests per day. Its five fantastic heli-ski runs are for intermediate to advanced skiers and boarders only. Tel: +64 (3) 303 9060, www.mtpotts.co.nz

Mt Hutt

Porter Heights – At 620 vertical metres, Big Mama is the longest, steepest ski run in the southern hemisphere. Advanced skiers will also enjoy the legendary challenge of Bluff Face.

Temple Basin – Hunt out the Hidden Chute, a hard-to-find natural half-pipe with great riding for boarders and skiers. It’s rarely tracked out and can’t be seen from above so you’ll need to befriend a local who can show you the route in. Mingha Valley is a coveted area over the back from the Downhill Towline. It’s a favourite with locals and those in the know for its wide open powder runs.

The Southern Fields – Just 35 minutes from
Mt Potts snowcat groupWanaka, is the powder capital of New Zealand, Treble Cone. It has the newest and biggest express saddle quad chairlift in the country, the longest run, the largest ski area in the South Island, the longest vertical drop, the highest ski school and is the most challenging of the southern fields. Adult day lift passes are NZ$89 (AU$78), kids NZ$40 (AU$35).

Temple Basin

Tel: +64 (3) 443 7443, www.treblecone. co.nz. The Remarkables, 45 minutes from Queenstown, is the least crowded field and a big favourite with young hip snowboarders, free-skiers and families who love the challenge of its 220 hectares of varied trails and extreme backcountry areas. Day lift passes are from NZ$79 (AU$69) adults, NZ$58 (AU$51) kids. Tel: +64 (3) 442 4615, www..nzski.com. Coronet Peak, just 25 minutes from Queenstown, has the easiest access and a great cosmopolitan ambiance. It caters to all ski levels and accommodates night skiing as well. Day lift passes are from NZ$84 (AU$74) adult and NZ$64 (AU$56) kids. Tel: +64 (3) 442 4620, www.nzski.com. Waiorau Snowfarm is located in the Pisa Range, near Cardona, and is New Zealand’s only Nordic ski field. It’s a favourite with cross-country skiers of all ages and abilities. Next door is the specialised Snow Park, New Zealand’s first all-mountain terrain park. A day trail pass starts around NZ$35 (AU$31) adults and NZ$20–25 (AU$18–22) for kids. Tel: +64 (3) 443 7542, www.snowfarmnz.com.

For all your travel choices, go to jetstar.com